This invention relates to a motorized tool. It is particularly adapted for use in a precision tool for injecting a material into or below the skin, and most particularly for use in a tool for cosmetic tattooing of humans. It will be described in connection with such use, although its usefulness is not limited thereto.
Human tattooing is now used not only for decoration but also in a variety of cosmetic surgery techniques. For example, tattooing may hide scars or other skin blemishes, or it may be used to simulate natural skin coloring in surgical reconstructions. Tattooing techniques have recently been employed around individual eyelash follicles to simulate eye liner on the eyelids of patients who are unable to apply eye liner to their own eyelids.
Numerous devices have heretofore been used for human and animal tattooing. Commonly, these devices have included a set of parallel needles held together in a needle assembly, an ink reservoir, and power means for vibrating or oscillating the needle assembly through the ink reservoir and into the skin. All, however, have suffered from certain drawbacks. Particularly in the cosmetic surgery techniques now being carried out, the highest standards are required for the tattooing device, including extremely accurate control of needle position, smooth and steady operation, lack of rotation of the needle assembly, accurate metering of pigment, and extraordinary sterility of the needles.
One of the objects of the present invention is to overcome the drawbacks of prior art tattooing devices and meet these high standards.
Another object is to provide a needle/cone assembly for use in such a device.
Another object is to provide a reciprocating device and tool which prevent reuse of the tool.
Other objects will occur to those skilled in the art in light of the following description and accompanying drawings.
In accordance with one aspect of this invention, generally stated, a tattooing device is provided including a housing, a needle retainer in the housing, a drive means in the housing for reciprocating the needle retainer with respect to the housing, and a needle/cone assembly removably attached to the housing. The needle/cone assembly includes a cone structure and a needle structure slidably trapped in the cone structure. The cone structure is preferably threaded to the housing, and the needle structure is snap-fitted to the needle retainer for reciprocation with respect to the cone structure. The needle retainer preferably includes means for preventing rotation of the needle structure.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a device is provided for driving a single use tool. The device includes a housing, a tool retainer in the housing, a drive means in the housing for reciprocating the tool retainer with respect to the housing, and a tool structure attached to the tool retainer by a one-way fitting. The tool structure includes a part which is broken upon removal of the tool structure from the tool retainer, to prevent reuse of the tool structure.
In the preferred embodiment, the tool structure is part of an assembly including the tool and a carrier in which the tool is trapped. The carrier is threaded to the device housing. The tool is snap-connected to the tool retainer as the carrier is threaded onto the device housing, and a frangible portion of the tool is broken as the carrier is threaded off the device housing. Preferably, the tool is a needle assembly. Also in the preferred embodiment, the carrier is a cone assembly including a frustoconical portion at its lower end and a cylindrical upper chamber in which a shoulder of the needle assembly is trapped.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a needle/cone assembly is provided for use in a tattooing device, the tattooing device having a housing and a needle retainer in the housing, the needle/cone assembly comprising means for removably attaching the needle/cone assembly to the housing, a cone structure and a needle structure slidably trapped in the cone structure. The needle structure preferably includes a frangible portion which is broken as the needle/cone assembly is removed from the device housing. The needle structure preferably is a needle assembly including a plurality of needles carried by a needle carrier. The needle structure is snap-fitted to the needle retainer for reciprocation with respect to the cone structure. The cone structure is preferably threaded to the housing. The needle carrier includes an upper cap portion which is adapted to be held by the needle retainer, and the frangible portion of the needle structure is a neck between the cap portion and the needles. Also in the preferred embodiment, the needle/cone assembly includes a frustoconical portion at its lower end and a cylindrical upper chamber in which a shoulder of the needle assembly is trapped.
A protective tube around the needles engages the lower end of the needle carrier and is frictionally held by the frustoconical portion. The tube acts as an insertion tool when the needle/cone assembly is assembled to the housing, to insure that the cap portion of the needle assembly is securely snapped into the needle retainer.
Other aspects of the invention will be better understood in light of the following description of the preferred embodiment.